Tool for forcibly removing a cylinder from a lock

ABSTRACT

A TOOL FOR REMOVING A CYLINDER FROM A LOCK IN A DOOR HAS A CHANNEL SHAPED BODY FORMED WITH BEVELED FLANGES TO ENGAGE BEHIND THE RIM OF THE CYLINDER. A LOOP ON THE BACK OF THE TOOL ENGAGES AN IMPLEMENT FOR DRAWING THE TOOL AWAY FROM THE DOOR WITH THE CYLINDER ENGAGED BETWEEN THE BEVELED FLANGES.

Nov. 16, 1971 w. M. M LAUGHLIN 3,619,887

TOOL FOR FORCIBLY REMOVING A CYLINDER FROM A LOCK Filed Oct. 9, 1969 2 Shoots-Sheet I.

INVENTOR.

WILLIAM M. MCLAUGHLIN NOV. 16, w MCLAUGHLIN TOOL FOR FORCIBLY REMOVING A CYLINDER FROM A LOCK Filed Oct. 9, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J J llhll INVENTOR. WILLIAM M. McLAUGHLIN Aim/Mans United States Patent US. Cl. 29-207 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tool for removing a cylinder from a lock in a door has a channel shaped body formed with beveled flanges to engage behind the rim of the cylinder. A loop on the back of the tool engages an implement for drawing the tool away from the door with the cylinder engaged between the beveled flanges.

This invention concerns a tool capable of forcibly removing a cylinder from a lock.

Heretofore a door locked by means of a cylinder lock in the door could be opened quickly in an emergency only by breaking some part of the door when no key for opening the lock was available. No suitable tool has heretofore been available for breaking open the lock. Crowbars and similar tools having V-shaped jaws are not able to engage properly the cylinder of a lock for removing the cylinder quickly.

The present invention is directed at providing a tool which will remove a cylinder from a lock set in a door Without damaging the door. Such a tool has great utility for firemen, policemen, locksrniths, and others required to open a locked door quickly in an emergency without damaging the door.

The invention concerns tools adapted for removing a cylinder set in a lock at the bottom or top rail of a glass door, or one set in a mortise type lock in a door, or one set in a rim type lock in a door. According to the invention there is provided a channel shapel tool formed with beveled jaws for engaging on the rim of a lock cylinder. A loop on the back of the tool can be struck with a hammer, axe or other implement to force the tool on to the cylinder. Then the head of the implement can be inserted into the loop to pry the cylinder out of the lock. The tool may have jaws of different widths particularly adapted for removing cylinders from locks located very close to the ground or to the frame of the door.

It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a tool which can be used to forcibly remove a cylinder from a lock in a door without damaging the door.

A further object is to provide a tool for the purpose described, having a channel shaped body with beveled jaws to engage on the rim of a lock cylinder.

Another object is to provide a tool as described with a loop at the back to receive an implement for pulling the tool and cylinder away from the lock in the door.

A further object is to provide a tool as described with jaws of different widths for engaging the rim of a cylinder lock set very close to the ground or to the frame of a door.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken together with the drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one form of tool embodying the invention shown engaged with the rim of a lock set in the bottom rail of a glass door.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged end elevational view of the tool and parts of the door and rail, taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

"ice

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary Vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the tool of FIGS. 1-3.

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the tool of FIGS. 14.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 5 of another tool embodying the invention.

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the tool of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a reduced perspective view of the tool of FIGS. 6, 7 shown engaged with and removing a cylinder from a lock in a door.

Referring first to FIGS. 1-5, there is shown a tool 10 having a channel shaped body with a flat rectangular back wall 12. Side walls 14 and 16 are rectangular and extend forwardly from opposite edges of wall 12. Flange 18 extends parallel to wall 12 toward wall 14 from the front edge of wall 16. Flange 20 extends parallel to wall 12 toward wall 16 from the front edge of wall 14. Flanges 18 and 20 are coplanar. Flange 18 has a V-shaped free edge 22 which is formed with an inside bevel 23 extending continuously between opposite edges 25 of the flange. Flange 20 has a straight free edge 26 formed with an inside bevel 28 extending continuously between opposite edges 30 of the flange. Flange 20 is very narrow and has a maximum width of about one-half inch.

A loop 32 extends outwardly of the back wall 12. This loop has a rectangular U-shape with a flat back wall 34 parallel to wall 12, and with flat rectangular side walls 36, 38 parallel to each other, perpendicular to wall 12 and secured to wall 12. All walls of the tool may be integral parts of the tool body, or they can be parts welded to gether to form an integral, unitary structure. The tool may be formed of bronze, steel or other massive, rigid, tough material. Tool 10 is symmetrical with respect to a central, bisecting transverse plane.

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show tool 10 engaging cylinder 40 of a lock 42 set in the bottom rail 44 of a door 45. The lock is very close to the ground 50. However there is enough space between the rim 52 of the cylinder and the ground for flange 20 to fit underneath. The head 54 of a pick axe 55 is shown in FIG. 1 applied to one end of the tool while a hammer, axe or other implement 56 is shown about to strike the axe head 54. This drives the inclined beveled edge 23 of flange 18 over and behind the rim 52 of the cylinder while the beveled edge 28 of flange 20 is forced under and behind rim 52. After the tool 10 is fully engaged on rim 52, the head 54 of axe 55 can be inserted into loop 32 and the tool 10 can be pulled away from the door in a manner similar to that illustrated in FIG. 8. The cylinder 40 will be pulled forcibly out of lock 42 even though it is held engaged in the body of the lock by a screw thread. After the cylinder is removed, bolt 60 of the lock can be retracted by a screwdriver or other instrument and the door 45 can be opened. It will be noted that no damage is done to the door, although the threads of the cylinder or lock may be stripped.

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 show another tool 10A which is generally similar to tool 10 and corresponding parts are identically numbered. Tool 10A is especially adapted for removing cylinders from mortise type locks or rim type locks set in doors.

Tool 10A also has a channel shaped body formed with a flat substantially rectangular back wall 12a. Loop 32 formed with back wall 34 and side walls 14a and 16a are curved, but they can be flat like walls 14, 16. Flanges 18a and 20a are flat, coplanar with each other and extend perpendicular to back wall 12a. The flanges extend inward toward each other from the curved walls 14a, 16a. Edges 22a and 26a are straight and converge toward each other from narrower ends 25a, 30a of the flanges to wider ends 25a, 30a of the respective flanges. Bevels 23a and 28a are formed on inner sides of the edges 22a,

26a. Tool 10A is symmetrical with respect to a central longitudinal plane.

Tool 10A shown in FIG. 8, can be forced on to rim 52a, of cylinder 40a by hammering on one end of the tool. The wider end of the opening defined between tapered edges 22a, 26a first passes the rim 52a until the beveled edges 23a, 28a engage behind rim 52a. Then the head 54 of axe 55, or some other prying implement such as crowbar, is inserted into loop 32 to pull tool 10A away from the door 45a as indicated by arrow 70. Cylinder 40a is pulled axially out of lock 42a as the tool 10A is pulled away from the door.

It will be noted that tool 10A like tool 10 does not damage the door although the threads of the lock or cylinder may be stripped. The bolt of lock 42a can then be retracted by a screwdriver or other instrument.

Tool 10 is symmetrical transversely so that it can be driven to the right or left as viewed in FIGS. 1, 3 and to engage on the cylinder of a lock. Tool A is symmetrical longitudinally. It can be driven to the left as viewed in FIGS. 6-8 to engage on the cylinder of the lock. If the tool is inverted, then it can be driven to the right to engage on the cylinder of a lock.

Tool 10A like tool 10 has a massive structure and is made of bronze, steel or other strong, tough, rigid material. The tool has a one-piece, unitary, integral structure. It is easily and quickly used. Commonly available implements such as hammers, axes and crowbars can be used in association with the tools 10 and 10A to drive them on to lock cylinders to be removed, and to draw the tools and engaged cylinders away from the locks holding them.

The tool described will fulfill a long felt need in the art of lock opening devices.

What is claimed is:

1. A tool for removing a lock cylinder having an exposed soft metal front face plate on a door comprising a channel shaped body having a flat rectangular back wall, side walls extending forwardly from the opposite edges of the back wall, fiat flanges extending inwardly from the side Walls and toward each other and parallel to the baclg wall and forwardly spaced therefrom, one of said flanges having a straight edge uniform in width throughout the full length of the channel shaped body, the other flange being generally V-shaped with its apex lying close to the straight flange and the flange diverging outwardly from the apex and respectively toward the opposite ends of the channel shaped body, so that the tool can be extended over the cylinder lock from the opposite ends thereof, said flanges having beveled cutting edges on their inner faces thereof and facing the back wall, said cutting edges opposing one another and adapted when forced over a cylinder lock to engage the body of the lock separate from its front face plate, whereby said tool can be applied over the cylinder lock from opposite directions and close to an obstruction when the straight edge parallels such obstruction.

2. A tool for removing a lock cylinder having an ex posed soft metal front face plate on a door as defined in claim 1, and loop means on the back wall of the channel shaped body adapted to be engaged by an implement to effect the pull of the tool body away from the door and the lock cylinder from the door after the beveled edges have been driven home about the body of the lock cylinder and behind the front face plate thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,957,126 5/1934 Appel 254-l31 2,6403 82 6/ 1953 Grossman 29253 UX 2,736,088 2/1956 Thygeson 25413l X ANDREW R. JUHA'SZ, Primary Examiner L. GILDEN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 254-131 

